FIGHTING 69rH INFANTRY DIVISION ****fiaaociaiion, Inc. VOLUME 50, NO.1 SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER - NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 1996 "THE THREE B'S" 101 STEPHEN STREET BOLTE'S BIVOUACING BASTARDS NEW KENSINGTON, PA 15068 412/335-3224 bu.lle-tin. OFFICERS 1996-1997 Robert Pierce, Presicknt 144 Nashua Court San Jose, CA 95139 .... .. ...... 273 Jim Boris, Vice President Days We Like To Remember. 6800 Henry Avenue • • Philadelphia, PA 19128 .. ...881 FA William C. Sheavly, Secretary 218 Sacred Heart Lane Reistertown, MD 21136 .................. .. 271 William Matlach, ']}easurer P.O. Box 474 West Islip, NY 11795-0474 ....... ... 273 Robert Kurtzman P.O. Box 105 Wi lmot, OH 44689 ...................... ..... 272 Edward Lucci, Auditor ...... .............. 273 William Snidow, Chapiain ... 661 Paul Shadle, Co·Chapiain ....... ... 27 1 Earl Witzleb, Jr. Co-Chapiain ........ 273 Joe Wright, Parliamentarian Div. Hq. Eugene Butterfield, Legai Adu. ... Div. Hq. LADIES' AUXILIARY Edith Chapman, President IWsemarie Mazza, Vice President Gloria Czyzyk, Secretary ·' -"e Matlach, Chapiain Zaffern, Sunshine Lady BOARD OF nmECTORS 1995-1996 Seymour Nash .. .. .................... 569 Scott Gresham .. 271 Richard Hadley .. ... .. ... 272 Eugene Mischke . .......................... .. 273 James Boris ........ ......... Divarty Frank Nemeth ....... .. 269 Charles Yann ul . .. .... ...... .. 661 Robert Weise .. .... 777 1996-1997 John Moriarty . .. .................... 69 MP Arthur Holgate ........... 271 Raymond Olson .................. .. .. .. 272 Edward Lucci ........................ 273 Charles Chapman ..................... Divarty Ernest Krause ....... .. ..... 269 Joe J enei ........................................... 661 Gaylord Thomas ....... 777 Guy Stamey .......... 461 1997-1998 Archie Brooke ............... Div. Hq. Clifton Barbieri ...... 271 Bernard ZaIl'ern ................................. 272 Robert Crowe ..... .. ................. 273 Thomas Healh .... Divarty Frank Packard .... .. ......... 269 Eugene Pierron" ......................... 661 Charles White ... 777 PAST PRESIDENTS 'Maj. Gen. E. F. Reinhardt, TX........ .................. .. ... Di v. Hq. 'Lester J. Milich, NJ ................. 569 Sig. ' Hyman E. Goldstein, NY ......... 272 lnf. 'Clifford E. Ewing, GA .. 769 Ord. Sherman Lawrence, NY ........ 272 Inf. Murry Galuten, FL... 272 lnf. ' Henry Madison, NY ................. 272 Inf. 'Sol Rosenblitt, FL .................... 271 lnf. ' Cyril Baron, FL ....................... Div. Hq. 'Loar L. QuickJe, NJ ................. 271 lof. ' Harold M. Starry, PA .......... 272 lof. Wm. R. Matlach, NY .... .. 273 lnf. Sam Woolf, NY ......................... 273 lnf. r.eo. E. Phillips, FL ................ 271 lnf. >rl Carbonari, CT ... 271 lnf. ,ley Olszewski , CT .... 273 In f. _'" Moriarty, MA ..................... 69 MP ' Robert Myers, AZ ... ....... Diy. Hq. ' Walter Doernbach, NJ ............ Diy. Hq. ' George Gallagher, FL .......... MP & QM William Beswick, VA.. ..... 661 'William Foster, PA . .... 269 Earl E. Wilzleb, Jr. PA ............ 273 lnf. Welkos O. Hawn, CO ........... Diy. Hq. Curt E. Peterson, WI. ... 569. Sig. "Deceased I never understood the Army's thinking - they sent News From me to train at Camp Roberts with part of the training The Editor's Desk on the Mojave Desert, then sent me to join the 69th at Camp Shelby (Swampy), then to England and Germany in the snow. A couple of instances: In Germany, after I got my section settled in, in spite of the darkness, I discovered a feather bed on the 3rd floor. I got my sleeping bag and blanket and covered with my shelter half and poncho and put my boots under my head. I awakened with the snow in the room, so I got my boots on and closed the window. I aroused the next morning with snow all over the place. There was no roof on the building. Another time, we had taken over a farm house and a young woman with a 3-year-old boy came to say she needed to feed the animals. I was the Sergeant in By Clarence Marshall Co -Editor charge. I was eating a can of Beanie-Wienies. I went to find out what the woman wanted and the little boy 101 Stephen Street, New Kensington, PA 15068 got loose from her and proceeded to eat my food. I Telephone: 412/335-3224 went back to the table and looked him in the eye and growled, "Boy, you're eating my lunch," but he just Roger A. Hawk, 8637 Valley View Road, Scottsdale, smiled big and kept on eating. The mother was scared Arizona 85250 - Cannon-272nd: The article by John but the interpreter told her, "We didn't come to fight Hagstrom of the 29th Division in the last Bulletin the children and the Sergeant has kids back home." caught my interest. Like many other 6ger's, I also I really think that the Nazis were amazed at how served in both outfits. But unlike most, I was in the the Americans would fight so hard to take a town and 29th both before and after my 69th term. then sit on the curb and share their lunch with the After Basic and TD School at Camp Hood, I was children. immediately sent to the 29th in England as a replace­ Bob Jorgenson, 619 8th Avenue N., Onalaska, ment. I was with them from May 1943 until March Wisconsin 54650 - Co. I, 272nd: I read the comments 1944. I applied for Aviation Cadet and was returned to by Bernard Dikter of Headquarters, 2nd Battalion, the U.S. three months before the 29th hit Omaha Beach. 271st, in the last issue of the 69th Bulletin ( Vol. 49, When I reported to Keesler Field at Biloxi, we were No.3), where he took exception to the statements of told the Air Corps had enough pilots and were sent up Mr. Haynie about AS.T.P. vets not having to go into the road to Camp Shelby and the 69th. combat. I was one of many AS.T.P. guys that served in After the war the two divisions swapped men and combat after the program was terminated. the 69th came home filled with high point 2gers. After I just recently became aware of a book about rejoining the 29th, I quickly got reassigned to myoId AS.T.P. written by Louis E. Keefer called, "Scholars outfit where the old timers were the guys I went to in Foxholes." It is available at the Public Library and England with. A great reunion was held, they were is very interesting reading. I pass this information sent home within a couple of months. I returned with along so that other 6gers can read it too. Keep up the the 29th and was discharged in January 1945. good work on the Bulletin. The article by John Hagstrom did not give liis Robert N. Grimm, 541 East Sixth Avenue, address which I would like so I can join their associa­ Lancaster, OH 43130-2624 - Co. L, 271st: Sorry that tion. Please send me his address or forward this letter you couldn't make the Tri-State in Monroe, Michigan. to him. Keep up the good work on the Bulletin. My wife Wanda and I were able to make it. I hope by (EDITOR'S NOTE: If anyone has an address for the this time you are feeling better. Headquarters of the 29th Division, please send it to My reason for contacting you: Is there a complete Roger Hawk. When we received the article from John roster of names, addresses and phone numbers of all Hagstrom, there was no address with it.) know 69th members? I know it was brought up at the Donald C. Smith, 8301 Nicholas Street, Omaha, meeting of the reunion in Nashville. If you get time, I Nebraska 68114 - Service Btry., 881st F.A: I've would like to hear from you. We have been keeping in enjoyed perusing the latest 69th Division News Bulletin. touch with my cousin, Raymond Kuhns and his wife I've written before about our snafu of crossing the Marti. Thanks a lot in advance for your time and Rhine - as I remember a couple of instances that I've trouble for answering my letter. told to people over the years. (Continued on Page 3) -2- NEWS FROM THE EDITOR'S DESK At the sidewalk next to the bus unloading zone were (Continued from Page 2) wheel chairs and we helped Barney into one of the chairs. I asked the bus driver if the chair was motor­ Eldon M.Atwood, 2909 First Avenue, No. 4-B, San ized and he said, no. I began my trek up to the visitors' Diego, California 92103 - Co. L, 273rd: Enclosed is a center pushing the wheel chair up a slight inclined photograph of my former squad leader William sidewalk, which for me was no "cake walk." Barney Sorrentino (left) and myself taken at his home at thought some of his unit were going to be on the tour Wesley Chapel, Florida, on May 20th, 1996. but he saw no one. There were three from 880th This is the first meeting with my former sergeant Headquarters Battery who did help push the chair since our outfit, Company L of the 273rd Infantry along with a few others whose unit I did not know. So Regiment, broke up in 1945. Barney got through the tour okay, thanks to helping hands. We spent the day getting reacquainted again after a 50-year hiatus; meeting his lovely wife, Laura, and The point I am trying to make is that our national officers and our reunion chairmen have to give going over some of his pictures and records and remi­ thought to these handicapped 69th veterans who do niscing about days we spent in combat with the third need some help on some of these tours, even if the 69th squad many years ago. Association has to spend a few dollars to hire some people to take care of these vets on tours. I imagine there are other vets who would like to go on some of these tours but do not do so due to a handicap. Let us give the handicapped vets a chance to go on these tours. I know that there were volunteers to help on the Cantigny tour but we took some of the volunteers away from their spouses and unit groups.